In a general sense, software may be used to perform a set of tasks desired by a user. Software may also include the data used by an application or a user to perform a task. For example, the content within “help” files or a table of tax rates used by a tax program may also be considered software. Examples of software include word processors, spreadsheets, databases, media players, business applications, and medical applications. Software may be bundled with the operating system installed on a computer, installed separately, and/or accessed remotely (e.g., over a network connection).
Software may also be associated with various features for performing the user's tasks. For example, media players may include features for visualization of music and creation of compact discs (CDs) and/or digital video discs (DVDs) from media files. In addition, the features may be tailored to the user's needs and/or capabilities. A more advanced user of the software may require more advanced and/or complicated features than a basic user. As a result, most users may only use a portion of the features offered by an application.
Software may be updated frequently, particularly if the software includes many features and/or multiple advanced features. Software updates may be used to fix security leaks, fix bugs, update data, install new features, upgrade existing features, and/or provide other changes to the product software. Software users may be prompted to download and install an update whenever the update is released. The update is prompted even when the update only involves a feature of the software the user has never used and has no plan to use the feature in the future.